OT: US Open.....

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

As Joe said, when your defense against high scores is that "it's windy", it likely is not a US Open worthy course.

Then again, why were so many of the top players in the world non factors? I have an answer, and it has nothing to do with the golf course. Just that they aren't playing well right now.

 

[upj87]

Koepka's great uncle is none other than Dick Groat.......

Just read Koepka's dad worked for his uncle Dick at Groat's Champion Lakes course. Self taught himself the game and passed it on to his kids later in life.

On a side note, the term "Great Uncle" makes no sense. Should be "Grand Uncle"

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Just read Koepka's dad worked for his uncle Dick at Groat's Champion Lakes course. Self taught himself the game and passed it on to his kids later in life.

On a side note, the term "Great Uncle" makes no sense. Should be "Grand Uncle"

Interesting. And Justin Thomas's dad was the Pro at Cherrington Golf Club in Moon in the 80's for those of you old enough to remember.

 

[CorsosRevenge]

I'd like to see this course in dry conditions. USGA had no control over the pounding Wisconsin and Minnesota got with rain last week.

 

[Swervin27]

this course kicks my butt when I play it on my phone in WGT golf. although I am too cheap to buy any nice clubs and can only get 235 off the tee.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

It was a great finish with Koepka winning and Harman second.
Thankfully no Euro's/Ryder Cup foes threatening King Koepka.

 

[Pitt79]

I was shocked with -10 scores. No US Open should have scores like that.

I never understood why that should matter? Everyone is playing the same course.

 

[Swervin27]

I never understood why that should matter? Everyone is playing the same course.

the US Open has a reputation, deservedly so, to beat up and penalize errant tee shots. Narrow fairways and brutal rough is what the open is traditionally known for. People like it, not sure why. maybe they enjoy seeing these pros get knocked down a peg or two, who knows.. this course, well these fairways were ridiculously wide and they even cut down some of the brush, something about rain.. not a traditional US open setting, that has irked some golf fans..

I kind of agree with you, everyone is on a level playing field. Birdies are more fun to watch than pars. I wasn't that entertained due to lack of star power. not sure who I can blame on that one..

 

[Pitt79]

the US Open has a reputation, deservedly so, to beat up and penalize errant tee shots. Narrow fairways and brutal rough is what the open is traditionally known for. People like it, not sure why. maybe they enjoy seeing these pros get knocked down a peg or two, who knows.. this course, well these fairways were ridiculously wide and they even cut down some of the brush, something about rain.. not a traditional US open setting, that has irked some golf fans..

I used to play a lot, but not much the last 5 years, and don't watch much, I did watch the last 2 hours yesterday. It's golf, I always hated when they made the putting super ridiculous! They made it like playoff hockey, like making it so hard it becomes luck. Anyways, I played golf between 10-30 time a year for like 25 years, so it's not like I have zero familiarity, was never very good, I think 79 was my best and it was a par 66 course. Anyways, I always wondered what difference does it make if the course is hard and the winner is -1 or they play it at a par 3 course and the winner is -40, either way you still win by holing out with the least strokes.

 

[Swervin27]

I used to play a lot, but not much the last 5 years, and don't watch much, I did watch the last 2 hours yesterday. It's golf, I always hated when they made the putting super ridiculous! They made it like playoff hockey, like making it so hard it becomes luck. Anyways, I played golf between 10-30 time a year for like 25 years, so it's not like I have zero familiarity, was never very good, I think 79 was my best and it was a par 66 course. Anyways, I always wondered what difference does it make if the course is hard and the winner is -1 or they play it at a par 3 course and the winner is -40, either way you still win by holing out with the least strokes.

well, too much one way or the other and it gets annoying. no one wants to see 40 under, as most people don't want to see the winner be +8.. like all things, you got to find a balance.. The US Open should be different than your normal course, it's different and wants to be different by being much more challenging.. Different courses have different characteristics, the US open wants to reward guys that can get the ball off the tee with some accuracy..

Right, wrong, or indifferent, that's what the Open has come to be defined as. this course was much more similar to most other courses on the tour..

 

[upj87]

I never understood why that should matter? Everyone is playing the same course.

because a national championship should not be the same thing as a Greater Hartford Open in level of difficulty.. Probably the reason the winter Olympics have not been held at Seven Springs...enough about the golf, how bout the girlfriend?

 

[Pitt3Putt]

I never understood why that should matter? Everyone is playing the same course.

Correct, the object is to get the ball in the hole 72 times in the lowest number of shots. Par is largely arbitrary.

Who knows, maybe next time they play it as a converted par 70/71 and it doesn't rain buckets during the week. Same course, but the score to par will be totally different.

Or maybe they just don't acquiesce to the players and actually keep the fescue close to the fairways.

 

[IronApes]

Correct, the object is to get the ball in the hole 72 times in the lowest number of shots. Par is largely arbitrary.

Who knows, maybe next time they play it as a converted par 70/71 and it doesn't rain buckets during the week. Same course, but the score to par will be totally different.

Or maybe they just don't acquiesce to the players and actually keep the fescue close to the fairways.

The softness of the course was the real story IMO. It affected putting and limited dangerous roll outs on the fairways. The course didn't need wind to make it a US Open venue but a lack of wind coupled with the rain did it in. Some of those greens were very tough as it was. Imagine how difficult they could have been if they were very fast and non-receptive.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

That course has length, and length doesn't mean anything to these guys when the fairways are so wide.

Rain is a BS excuse.

 

[upj87]

That course has length, and length doesn't mean anything to these guys when the fairways are so wide.

Rain is a BS excuse.

it could rain an inch a night at Oakmont and you could be damn well sure no one shoots 16 under (with another handful of guys at 10 under or better)....

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

it could rain an inch a night at Oakmont and you could be damn well sure no one shoots 16 under (with another handful of guys at 10 under or better)....

Oakmont got more rain in the weeks leading up to the US Open in 2016, and more rain the week of the tournament.

 

[IronApes]

That course has length, and length doesn't mean anything to these guys when the fairways are so wide.

Rain is a BS excuse.

Sure they might still reach the green in two (if their tee shots didn't roll off the fairway) but the ball may not have stayed on the green. I'm not looking for excuses but that course would have been much different with dry conditions.

 

[3genpanther]

All they need to do IMO is widen the first cut of rough and narrow the fairways. While the fairways were too wide, conversely there wasn't enough distance between the first cut and the tall fescue. There were times where someone would hit the fairway and it would run off into the fescue, which is a flawed design IMO (this happened at the first hole, repeatedly).

Players weren't intimidated by the course at all, which is a shame for a US Open venue. Sunday felt a little more like a major, albeit more of a British Open feel. Count me in as being much more interested in -1 winning this tournament, or even +3.

I think this was the worst FOX broadcast yet. Bland voices, lack of charisma, repeated technology issues, Joe Buck naming Koepka's girlfriend by his ex-girlfriend's name, the list goes on.

That all being said, I wasn't complaining when my 45 to 1 Koepka bet came through.

 

[Swervin27]

you guys are over thinking this. do what every other US Open course does and change a par 5 on the front and one on the back to a par 4, make it 70 and be done with it..

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Not having rough around the greens made this course play much easier too. If these guys can get the club on the ball getting up and down for them is exponentially easier.

 

[Pitt79]

you guys are over thinking this. do what every other US Open course does and change a par 5 on the front and one on the back to a par 4, make it 70 and be done with it..

So basically play the same course, but rig the score to make people think it was harder than it was? LOL! So the winner might of been -6 instead of -16 and people would feel better? Same number of strokes wins, you just pretend it was more challenging.

 

[Swervin27]

So basically play the same course, but rig the score to make people think it was harder than it was? LOL! So the winner might of been -6 instead of -16 and people would feel better? Same number of strokes wins, you just pretend it was more challenging.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

So which 600+ yard par 5 are you going to make a par 4? As recruits stated earlier, it's already a clown course.

 

[Pitt79]

So which 600+ yard par 5 are you going to make a par 4? As recruits stated earlier, it's already a clown course.

It's a golf course, the guy who had the least strokes won, so what's the problem? What's the BFD?

 

[Swervin27]

It's a golf course, the guy who had the least strokes won, so what's the problem? What's the BFD?

I don't think anyone really is that upset. some people complaining about the grass being cut earlier in week, the fescue but players didn't seem to mind, PGA officials were happy, players said they liked the course, outside of a few comments in this thread, I think the US open was a success..

Are people complaining? I mean real people, not pantherlair people but actual normal people.

 

[upj87]

I don't think anyone really is that upset. some people complaining about the grass being cut earlier in week, the fescue but players didn't seem to mind, PGA officials were happy, players said they liked the course, outside of a few comments in this thread, I think the US open was a success..

Are people complaining? I mean real people, not pantherlair people but actual normal people.

fescue....hahaha...that was cracking me up all weekend...basically one of the most common everyday lawn grasses was made out to seem like it was exotic species of evil rough monster...playing the "fescue" drinking game would have gotten you schittfaced by the second hole of coverage.

 

[pitt-girl]

I don't think anyone really is that upset. some people complaining about the grass being cut earlier in week, the fescue but players didn't seem to mind, PGA officials were happy, players said they liked the course, outside of a few comments in this thread, I think the US open was a success..

Are people complaining? I mean real people, not pantherlair people but actual normal people.

It was widely commented on during the broadcasts the last couple of days. More in the vein of making excuses for the lack of wind, which is nuts.

My guess is the US Open will never be there again, at least without some significant changes to the course.

 

[phxpanther]

It's a golf course, the guy who had the least strokes won, so what's the problem? What's the BFD?

Because it's the USOpen, not the Greater Milwaukee Open. The course should be difficult. That's what makes the US Open the US Open.

The first three majors all have certain characteristics that make them what they are. This felt like a regular tour event, not our National Chamoionship

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Because it's the USOpen, not the Greater Milwaukee Open. The course should be difficult. That's what makes the US Open the US Open.

The first three majors all have certain characteristics that make them what they are. This felt like a regular tour event, not our National Chamoionship

The course should be difficult its the US Open.
Its going back to Shinnecock Hills next year and I cant wait until they schedule Bethpage Black again which has some of the fastest sloped greens on the planet.

 

[NTOP]

yea Koepka I think has ties to Western PA. His father played baseball at either West Virginia Wesleyan or Alderson Broaddus or Davis Elkins.....Im not sure which.

Those 3 should merge. Just have ziplines to connect them?? Mrs. NTOP went to WVWC.

 

[NTOP]

it could rain an inch a night at Oakmont and you could be damn well sure no one shoots 16 under (with another handful of guys at 10 under or better)....

Played it after an all-day deluge the day before. The greens were so fast I needed a cue stick, not my scraper. No 4 putts, but lots of shaky 3 putts. Pars felt like eagles to me.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I wonder if Dick Groat calls his nephew "Big Fella"?